Blizzard of 2015
I love this very recent Throwback Thursday image from three days ago taken in space of the Blizzard of 2015 via NOAA/NASA. Having the state lines drawn in makes it very easy to identify locations based on night lights – for those in Chautauqua County you can see Jamestown and Dunkirk/Fredonia quite clearly along with other nearby cities. Isn’t it astonishing how bright New York City is even while covered by clouds? While some of us were under the comma head and experiencing strong wind and snow (like me!) nearly everyone in the eastern half of the country and much of the Atlantic...
Read MoreSnow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis)
This Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) was being blown around by the wind, as seen by those feathers flapping in the breeze. It is a beacon of white on beautiful sunny days against the blue sky. Have you been fortunate enough to find any this winter?
Read MoreBlizzard Inbound?
Here’s the snowfall on tap for Roger Tory Peterson’s old Nutmeg home from midday tomorrow through Wednesday morning along with winds gusting to near hurricane force. In all it means a blizzard warning is in effect for this entire region. Birds are extremely resilient and resourceful but some of them may want to be winging it a bit further south later this week once it clears. They will also head towards the coast and end up in many places where our Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds crew works all spring and summer. Be safe!
Read MoreBanded Peregrine Falcon Devouring Pigeon
One of the most outrageously spectacular and breath-taking winter bird sightings you can have is, in my opinion, the Peregrine Falcon. As the fastest animal on the Earth the Peregrine is already in a class of its own, and if you have never seen one stooping on shorebirds, waterfowl or other coastal and open-country birds you are missing out on one of the most unbelievable happenings on the planet. The raw power and sheer speed these birds display is literally unmatched. After recovering from decimation via DDT the Peregrine Falcon has begun to reconquer our landscape, moving into cities and...
Read MoreGreat Blue Herons Battling Wind
I very much enjoyed this photo of Great Blue Herons taken at Dunkirk Harbor yesterday by our friend Gale VerHague. As I told Gale I love it when you can “see” both the birds and the weather itself interacting in a photo. These long-legged waders were using all of those legs in battling very strong winds on Lake Erie associated with the passage of a cold front, keeping their backs to the incoming arctic air. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
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